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FEATURE<br />
Harbeth Compact 7ES-3<br />
vs. Stirling SB-88<br />
By Mark Marcantonio<br />
Heritage: It’s a key<br />
component to how<br />
stereo equipment<br />
is designed and how<br />
it sounds. When it comes to<br />
speakers, BBC monitors arguably<br />
have the most famous lineage.<br />
Simple, thin-walled boxes designed<br />
to be placed on stands,<br />
these types of speakers add in a<br />
sonic signature of low coloration<br />
and flat measurements, which are<br />
the basics of a successful monitor.<br />
Two companies currently epitomize<br />
the BBC design: Harbeth<br />
and Stirling.<br />
While direct comparisons are<br />
not the norm at TONEAudio, when<br />
a pair of Stirling SB-88s arrived for<br />
review, the obvious comparison<br />
to the Harbeth Compact 7ES-3<br />
couldn’t be helped. Possessing<br />
a nearly identical cabinet size<br />
(20.5 by 10.7 by 12 inches for the<br />
Harbeths; 19.5 by 10.7 by 11.75<br />
inches for the Stirlings), along with<br />
similar drivers and port layouts,<br />
these speakers present instant<br />
curiosity. Even grill removal on<br />
both models calls for patience and<br />
an old credit card. Besides veneers,<br />
the biggest differences are<br />
the flat front flange, sealed back<br />
panel, and dual binding posts of<br />
the SB-88, and the slightly rounded<br />
bevel, screwed-in rear panel,<br />
and single set of binding posts of<br />
the Compact 7. (continued)<br />
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